Italian Navy’s FREMM frigate ITS Carabiniere will be performing counter-piracy duties off the Horn of Africa after completing a promotional tour to Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

The Carlo Bergamini-class frigate started her “Italian industry showcase” deployment in December last year and traveled as far as Australia displaying her capabilities during at-sea maneuvers and port visits.

The tour was financed by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and a number of other Italian defense contractor. Fincantieri is currently bidding for the design and construction of Royal Australian Navy’s Future Frigates with a design based on the FREMM frigate.

Now, before returning home by the end of this month, Carabiniere joined the European Union’s counter-piracy operation Atalanta. Departing Abu Dhabi on May 12, Carabiniere met up with another Italian warship already operating under the mission, Maestrale-class frigate ITS Espero.

ITS Carabiniere is the fourth FREMM frigate built within the international Italian-French program, coordinated by OCCAR (the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation). The 144-meter frigates displace approximately 6,700 tonnes and are capable of reaching speeds of over 27 knots with accommodation for a 200-person crew.